Congress's inability to deal with the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in the National Park System is leading some parks to increase fees to help deal with their respective maintenance issues. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of the latest parks to increase fees, in part to address infrastructure needs.

The National Park Service will close the Lost Valley Road and day-use area at Buffalo National River in Arkansas on Monday for a 10-week-long improvement project that will relocate a portion of Lost Valley Road, parking area, and trailhead out of the immediate flood zone of Clark Creek. The purpose of this project is to provide safe vehicular access to the Lost Valley Trailhead while minimizing adverse impacts to Clark Creek, the Buffalo River, and the surrounding environment.

An open house has been scheduled for next week at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio to discuss the Cuyahoga River Water Trail project and provide input towards its creation.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma will begin prescribed burning this month, depending on weather conditions. These fires will occur on the southern border of the Lake of the Arbuckles from south of Masters Road, east towards Buckhorn Creek, and east of Route 177 across from the bison pasture.